FOREWORD

FOREWORD

This research produced a handbook containing highway design and operational recommendations to accommodate older drivers, plus companion synthesis documents summarizing, respectively, the findings of past studies of age differences in driver capabilities, and of experiments and analyses in the area of human factors and highway safety. A relational data base devoted to the present research topics is also described, and future research program recommendations are presented.

This report will be of interest to researchers concerned with issues of older road user safety and mobility, and to transportation engineers, urban planners, and users of current AASHTO and FHWA policies on highway design and operations.

Copies of the report are being distributed to FHWA Resource Centers, Division offices, and to State highway agencies. Additional copies of this document are available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161. A charge is imposed by NTIS for copies provided.

A. George Ostensen
Director
Office of Safety and Traffic Operations
Research and Development

NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein only because they are considered essential to the object of this document.

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. FHWA-RD-97-095		2. Government Accession No.		3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle SYNTHESIS OF HUMAN FACTORS RESEARCH ON OLDER DRIVERS AND HIGHWAY SAFETY, Volume II: Human Factors and Highway Safety Research Synthesis				5. Report Date
				6. Performing Organization Code 1445
7. Author(s) Loren Staplin, Kenneth W. Gish, Lawrence E. Decina, Kathy H. Lococo, David L. Harkey, Mohammed S. Tarawneh, Richard Lyles, Douglas Mace, and Philip Garvey				8. Performing Organization Report No. 1445/FR
9. Performing Organization Name and Address The Scientex Corporation Transportation Safety Division P.O. Box 1367 1722 Sumneytown Pike Kulpsville, PA 19443				10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) 3A6a-0042
				11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-93-C-00074
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Office of Safety and Traffic Operations R&D Federal Highway Administration 6300 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22101-2296				13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report Sept. 1993 - Oct. 1997
				14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes COTR: Joseph Moyer, HSR-30; Gary Golembiewski, SAIC
16. Abstract The overall goals in this project were to perform literature reviews and syntheses, using meta-analytic techniques, where appropriate, for a broad and comprehensive body of research findings on older driver needs and (diminished) capabilities, and a more focused body of work concerning human factors and highway safety, to support the development of specific research products. The research products completed through these activities included: (1) an applications-oriented Older Driver Highway Design Handbook intended to supplement standard design manuals for practitioners; (2) an Older Driver Research Synthesis, oriented toward human factors professionals and researchers; (3) a Human Factors and Highway Safety Synthesis capturing major findings and trends in studies of driver use of (and difficulties with) a wide range of highway elements; (4) future research program recommendations that are focused on specified applications and are consistent with the needs identified through other work in this project; and (5) the shell of a relational data base (RIDHER) structured to encompass the information elements in these research syntheses. The two synthesis documents in this set of deliverables are published as companion volumes. This is volume II. The other volume in this set is: FHWA-RD-97-094 Volume I: Older Driver Research Synthesis
17. Key Words Safety, Age, Highway Geometry, Highway Operations, Traffic Control Devices, Highway Lighting, Driver Performance, Human Factors			18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.
19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified	20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified			21. No. of Pages 212	22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized